MobLand Season 1 Episode 1-2 Early Review

The following is a spoiler free review of the first two episodes of MobLand. The first episode premieres this Sunday on Paramount+

Stories about the mob have remained a part of pop culture for decades, appearing across film and television for decades. For every Godfather and Goodfellas, there have been countless other imitators. After watching the same general outline play out so many times, what makes MobLand so different? Having Guy Ritchie involved certainly doesn’t hurt, imbuing his signature style throughout. This latest streaming drama series take place in the world of the British mob, in between of two dueling families seemingly on the verge of war, one which could do some serious damage. In the middle of it all is a fixer forced to use his street smarts in order to try and navigate through that contentious relationship to do right for his client. The first two episodes provided for press before the premiere do not waste any time at laying out what viewers could expect and setting the stage for the potential bloodbath to come if cooler heads don’t prevail. With a cast featuring the likes of Tom Hardy, Pierce Brosnan, and Helen Mirren, they anchor the series with strong performances, especially Hardy who delivers some of his best work in a long time.

Offering a window into its world, MobLand follows Harry Da Souza (Hardy), a street smart fixer with his finger on the pulse of the criminal underworld of London. Working for the Harrigan crime family, led by Conrad (Brosnan) and Maeve (Mirren), he tended to their and their family’s most pressing issues while towing the line between the Harrigans and the Stevensons, a rival crime family led by Richie (Geoff Bell). Two families who shared plenty of animosity for one another and appeared to be on the verge of war, they stayed out of the other’s way but considering the personalities involved, that arrangement was tenuous at best so it was only a matter of time until someone (or something) got in the way of that. That being said, either family would easily step over the other to enrich their own coffers. This fact made an incident involving sons of both families, Eddie Harrigan (Anson Boon) and Tommy Stevenson (Felix Edwards), that much more suspicious, now that one was missing. As blame and denial were thrown around from both sides, it was business as usual for the Harrigans looked to bolster their operation and stomp out the competition in the midst of the cloud that loomed over them.

A family that valued loyalty above all else, the ruthlessness of the Harrigans came straight from the top. Part of the old guard, Conrad Harrington would stop at nothing in his lust for power and control of the London underground, but one can’t help but notice the influence Maeve had on their operation. Some may think that she was truly the one in control, whispering sinister musings in his ear. While family was important, Conrad and Maeve would not let anyone or anything get in their way. That’s just the way it was, but nevertheless, their system worked and it has enriched each member for so long to the point of acceptance. Though an employee of the Harrigan family, Harry was essentially considered family and someone who was often relied on to fix their problems.

The most pressing issue was of course that was the missing son so Harry was on the case. Alongside his team, the key here is to peel back the layers of the mystery in order to get to the truth and find out what really happened. Operating in the shadows, carefully treading the line between the Harrigans and the Stevensons, his investigation was a compelling one to watch, interspersed with a fair share of tense moments as it unearths some more intricacies and nuance when it comes to the relationship between the families and their relationship with London. Only scratching the surface with the characters and story, the outcome of the missing son investigation is sure to light a fire under the powder keg that was the Harrigans and the Stevensons. In the end, in spite of striking a ceasefire, a war is only a matter of time, how it ultimately plays out is the only thing that remains to be seen.

Meanwhile, operating in the line of fire also left Harry vulnerable both personally and professionally as the distance between each continued to narrow. Going back home to his wife Jan (Joanne Froggatt), and their teenage daughter, Gina (Teddie Allen), he tried to keep his home life and work life separate. However, his heavy sporadic workload, was undeniably taking a toll on his marriage.

The best part of MobLand is easily its performances. While Hardy, Brosnan, and Mirren will get most of the attention, the series offers a solid supporting cast featuring the likes of Paddy Considine (Kevin Harrigan), Lara Pulver (Bella Harrigan), and Anson Boon (Eddie Harrigan) just to name a few. More on the sidelines through the first two episodes, they make way for the aforementioned three stars. Hardy is perfectly cast as Harry, a burly, morally flexible man who may be the furthest from what one would consider to be a good character, but his charisma still pull viewers in. Perhaps not as showy as his recent performances, that restraint is a testament to his underrated range. Not the first mob films or series to put its fixer front and center, he at least makes this series a bit more interesting as it is at its best when it lets Hardy loose. That being said, Brosnan and Mirren bring their screen presence across the first two episodes, despite limited screen time. Mirren, in particular, is a scene stealer as the devious Maeve Harrigan.

At the end of the day, MobLand may not reinvent the wheel in terms of mob stories but within that familiar, the series finds an interesting path that works thanks to a strong turn from Tom Hardy.

still courtesy of Paramount+

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.